From Community Schools to College: Building Pathways for Russian Heritage Learners (06 Nov 2026)

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 22:30:00 GMT

This roundtable will bring together educators from Russian community and heritage schools and K–12 programs to discuss who their students are, why they study Russian, and what happens after they leave these programs. The conversation will focus on how educators can help heritage learners continue developing and using Russian in college and beyond, not necessarily as their primary field of study, but as an academic and professional asset alongside their chosen major. Participants will share experiences and practical ideas for building stronger connections between community schools, K–12 programs, and higher education and for making opportunities such as Russian minors, double majors, advanced coursework, study abroad, and other forms of continued engagement more visible to students.

The following presenters will share their experiences:

Tanya Ivanova-Sullivan, Department of Slavic, East European and Eurasian Languages and Cultures / National Heritage Language Resource Center (UCLA)

Ekaterina Kalmanson, James Madison High School

Anna Budnyatsky, Russian School of Orange County

Tatiana Kuzina, Russian Language School

Lara Ravitch, Concordia Language Villages

Lisa Borowik, San Diego Russian School

The roundtable will be facilitated by Anna Asadov-Ossowska, San Diego Russian School.

ACTR upcoming events

From Community Schools to College: Building Pathways for Russian Heritage Learners (06 Nov 2026)